But, in the shadow of the excitement and the freedom was a more basic, rooted motivation. I wanted security. And my need for security was driven by fear.

Common Fears

Yep, I was deeply afraid when I began investing. And I still have fears today, although they’ve changed form.

For example?

When I started I was afraid of being able to support myself financially. When I had a family, this fear became even bigger.

Early on, I was afraid of taking the wrong life path and of making a mistake that I’d later regret. Now, I’m more afraid of missing out on experiences and moments with people. These are treasures that I’ll never be able to replace.

As I grew in business, I became afraid of the possible humiliation and frustration of failure. Interestingly, that possibility of failure never completely goes away. With each new venture and step forward, nothing is guaranteed.

But as I’ve since found out, I’m not the only one who has these fears. We are all are motivated by fear to some extent. Here are a few other common fears people have shared with me:

Am I too old to become an investor or entrepreneur? Did I start too late?

What will the future bring in these changing, chaotic times?

Am I going to make a huge mistake I’ll never recover from?

If you are stretching yourself and attempting worthwhile projects in life, these fears and more will be present. They’re unavoidable.

But there is also a hidden silver lining to fear if you look for it.

Avoid Fear or Use It?

I’ve found that fear can actually be a good thing. All of the fears can actually be helpful if they motivate you to action instead of paralyzing you.

I love the poem by Victor Hugo that speaks to the opposite of paralyzing fear:

Be like the birdThat pausing in flightWhile on boughs too slight,Feels them give wayBeneath her, and yet sings,Knowing she hath wings.

A bird lands on a tree branch that’s too small for her weight. Yet this little bird continues to sing. Why?

Because she knows she has wings to fly!

I see entrepreneurship, investing, financial intelligence, and self-improvement as “wings” that allow us to fly when landing on life’s boughs that are too slight.

Our job isn’t to avoid the fear. Our job is to learn how to fly.

Sources of True Security

The sources of our fears are like the unstable branches beneath us:

Sure, you could lose your job.

Yes, you may not have saved enough for retirement.

It’s true that you have a lot to learn.

It’s possible that you have started later than other people.

No doubt the future is chaotic and unknown.

But remember, we DO have wings. And we can learn to use them.

How?

To start, we can address our fears with the basic steps of financial security, like purchasing proper insurance, saving an emergency fund, paying off debt, building a retirement fund, and investing in real estate.

Practical steps like these are necessary. We hear about them regularly for good reason. They give us confidence and financial resiliency.

But, our wings are potentially much stronger than just these outside sources. Even with a big pile of money in the bank, fear could still paralyze us without something more.

Want true financial security? First, we need to inspire ourselves, educate ourselves, and dream bigger. Then we need to hustle!

Our own wings are what will ultimately save us, not our stock or real estate investments, not our job, and not the economy.

This is challenging, but it is also exciting! The ultimate choice of security comes back to you and to me.

The Real Choice For Security

So, our real choice when faced with inevitable fear is simply this:

Will we stay paralyzed and let the tree crash beneath us? Or will we cultivate our ability to fly?

That basic challenge has driven me as entrepreneur and investor for a long time. Business and investing are ultimately about personal growth. They are about taking responsibility for our future. And they’re about becoming our best selves.

I doubt fear ever completely leaves any of us. But then again, neither will our ability to overcome it.

Thank you for letting me help you strengthen your wings. It’s a privilege.

What are your biggest fears? How have you overcome those fears in the past? What are the strongest parts of your personal “wings?”

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Comments

This post resonates with me as I have recently made moves to no longer completely rely on my RE investments financially. Although I built a decent quiver of investments that have been supporting me financially for the past couple of years, I still found myself stressed, having lived through the Great Recession during my 30s; I witnessed far too many people lose all they had built previously, especially in RE.

Therefore, I finished my prerequisites and have applied to nursing school. I’ll find out mid-July if I get in. Although getting back into a “Real Job” doesn’t appeal to me, (it’s been 20-years…), I feel that the schedule, security, and decent pay, without a hefty upfront investment that a career in nursing will provide, suit me perfectly for the next 10-years ish. Not to mention that I need out on the medical field.

So, I guess you might say that I’m spreading my wings again for a new flight! I’m trying to suppress my excitement about this new chapter, although it’s hard not to get excited about the prospects of being able to support myself and my family with a career while allowing my RE investments to begin supporting themselves, instead of me. Debt Reduction Snowball, did you say?

This is awesome, Nic! Thanks for sharing your own journey and your new chapter of spreading your wings in a different way. The thing I love about your story is that it shows there is no set path. Even you may not have predicted you’d make this change a few years ago. So, we adjust and we do what’s best at the time.

Hi Coach
I enjoyed your article and the comments on fear and how it can get in our way with investing and in life.
This paraphrased quote I read recently but do not remember the author ” the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago , the next best time is now ”
So for those of us who wished we bought real estate or stocks or started retirement planning 20 years ago and fear it is too late there is always today to get started !
Another thought on fear is that often the best time to invest might be the scariest time . So when you are terrified you may be getting your best values on your purchases as with stocks and real estate during the most recent financial crisis.
However , we must find ways to override or overcome our fear to do this.
I think that is where a great coach like you can bring a lot of value to investors. Through education , hand holding , experience and encouragement you help us through the process of investing in real estate as well as learning how our emotions can ” derail” our plans.
Thank you.
Mimi

Mimi,
It sounds like this quote from JFK:
“The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, ‘In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!'”

Such a great lesson! And I think you make a great point that investing is very similar. Whether you should have started earlier or not – NOW is still the time.

And so true about the most terrifying times being the best times to invest. I’m definitely not immune to those emotional swings either, but I think what’s helped me is to have a coherent investing philosophy and mentors/coaches right beside me. With education and support, in place BEFORE that next plunge happens, we can all have a framework to guide our decisions both now and in any market.

Thank you for the great comment, Mimi! Your many years of experience in the financial world certainly make give it credibility.

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